Champion Cyclist Turns Attentions to Team Dream

There’s no I in Team for New Zealand cyclist Alison Shanks.

The Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2009 world champion in the individual pursuit has swapped that event to focus on the team pursuit which will be contested in next year’s London Olympics.

The 28 year old will lead the BikeNZ team into their first hit out in eight months at the Oceania Track Championships in Invercargill starting on Monday.

“It’s going to be great to get out there to have the first race of the season and obviously there’s also some valuable Olympic qualifying points up for grabs as well,” Shanks said.
With the individual pursuit no longer on the Olympic schedule, Shanks has re-focussed solely on the team pursuit.

"For me the Commonwealth Games last year was real closure for the individual pursuit for me at a Games level, although it is still an event at the world championships and world cups.“

While the Dunedin rider is the fastest individual pursuiter in the country  that does not necessarily correspond in the team pursuit.

“You can’t win a medal with one rider in a team pursuit. We are developing a good team with different roles for different riders. The team pursuit is about using everyone’s strengths and minimizing the weaknesses and that will give you the fastest ride at the end of the day.

“You have to get three riders across that finish line so there’s no point in having one strong rider. It’s about developing that team dynamic and finding the best team combination to get the fastest three kilometres.”

Shanks said the competition is not just against the Australians next week. There’s strong rivalry for the three-strong team pursuit combination to contest next month’s UCI World Cup in Colombia, the first opportunity to stake an Olympic claim.

“There are seven girls in the squad throughout the year and at the end of the day there will only be three riders at the London Olympics. The competition is really intense within the squad and then obviously out on track against the Australians as well.

“We all live together during camp and during competition. It’s a unique dynamic. You are teammates but you are also competing as individuals against eachother. But it seems to work well and we are all aiming for that same common goal of producing an Olympic medal.”

Shanks, Hamilton’s Jaime Neilsen and Mid-Canterbury’s Lauren Ellis will compete in one combination with Te Awamutu’s Rushlee Buchanan, Auckland’s Kaytee Boyd and Levin’s Gemma Dudley in the other.

Australia loom large as a strong opponent next week, with two of the combination that finished fifth at the recent World Cup in Astana - two-time Olympian Kate Bates and 2010 world champion Ashlee Ankudinoff – teaming with the talented Amy Cure.

The team pursuit, for women and men, is scheduled for the opening day on Monday in the four day competition with Olympic qualifying points on offer and winners will secure an automatic start for their country in next year’s all-important world championships in Melbourne.

CAPTION: Alison Shanks in action.
Credit: Gerry McManus.